Living in the Path - Module 3: What Buddhists Believe - Online

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In this course, Lama Zopa Rinpoche makes certain that we understand the most fundamental and profound truth of Buddha's teachings: how ignorance creates our problems and how wisdom creates our happiness. We are given practical ways to apply impermanence, karma, and emptiness in daily life, and catch the hallucination of true existence in the moment that ignorance projects it. These teachings are extracted from the Light of the Path Retreat, September 2009 in North America taught by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

"When we say belief it looks like it is something that is not true. Here, we are talking about a belief that accords with reality. When you understand what fundamental Buddhist philosophy, practice, and belief is. Woooow!." - Lama Zopa Rinpoche

When you purchase this course, you will receive an email with a link to download a PDF, which contains the enrollment key required to access this course on the online learning site at http://onlinelearning.fpmt.org

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS COURSE

Session One: Your Mind is the Creator

Your mind is the creator

Refuge and bodhichitta prayer from Lama Atisha, the goal of full enlightenment is to help others unmistakenly

Only a buddha can see the subtle details of karma: the story of Kyimdag Pelgye

“The various worlds are born from karma.” – a quote from the Abhidharmakosha

Importance of meditation on Dharma so you can apply it when you need it

Averting suicide by reflecting on reincarnation and karma

Lying and its result

The karmic results of living in vows, the morality of abstaining from negative karma.

Protect your life by practicing mindfulness.

Session Three: Choosing Happiness over Anger

Recall Refuge and Bodhichitta protect your life, this is related (!)

If you wish for happiness and do not want suffering, you need to stop anger by practicing patience

Who gives you the chance to practice patience

People help a kind, compassionate person

Merits are blown up by anger

Choosing happiness by practicing patience

Session Four: How the Mind Can Change

Ignorance

How a real I must exist – as one with or separate from the aggregates

How the Buddha liberates beings

The importance of realizing dependent-arising

Realizing emptiness

Becoming free from the bondage of ignorance

Three types of Eight Worldly Dharmas

The mind can change from attachment to peace

Losing the I

Session Five: Ignorance versus Reality

Like a star, verse from Praise to Shakyamuni Buddha

Ignorance has its own view

What the omniscience mind sees

“Like a star”

“Like a defective view”

“Like a butterlamp”

“Like an Illusion”

“Like a dew drop”

“Like a water bubble

“Like a dream”

“Like lightning”

“Like clouds”

Session Six: Basic Buddhist Belief

Recall the verse from the Praise to Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. Review of analogies.

How can you say “I” am more important?

The best kind of holiday

Vacation from the self-cherishing thought

Vacation from ordinary appearance and concept

Bodhichitta turns ka-ka into gold

The body is the view of your karma

This is the view of my karma

First – the appearance is your karma

Second – the label comes from the mind

Third – the hallucination of true existence - that it is coming from the side of the object; but it is a total mistake

Importance of mindfulness practice

The basic thing is it came from your mind: it came from your karma

The four Buddhist seals

ACCOMPANYING VIDEO EXCERPTS

“The Various Worlds are Born from Karma” (12 min)

“Analogy of a Movie” (9 min)

“Evolution of Appearances” (9 min)

“Appearances Come from Karma” (10 min)

“Analogy of the Rope and the Snake” (14 min)

“Object to be Refuted” (13 min)

“Ignorance & Wisdom” (10 min)

“How the Buddha Liberates Beings” (7 min)

“Freedom from Bondage” (8 min)

“Losing the I” (26 min)

“Ignorance has its Own View” (14 min)

“Like a Magician’s Illusion” (24 min)

“The View of Your Karma” (21 min)

“It Came from Your Mind” (14 min)

OTHER MATERIAL IN THIS COURSE

A reading pack in PDF format

Meditations & Practices

Mindfulness exercises for daily life

Service component or karma yoga exercises

Questions for discussion for student/facilitator review & assessment

Suggested readings

Helpful resources

Important information about your order of online materials:

Following your purchase of an online course, you will receive an email with a link to a webpage to download a PDF document which will contain the enrollment key for the course and instructions on how to access the course on the FPMT Online Learning Center.

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